The European Commission has officially called for new negotiations with Morocco to revise the 2018 trade deal that covers farm and fishery products from the Moroccan Sahara, according to a note issued by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and sent to the Folketing’s European Affairs Committee.
The Council of the EU is expected to begin examining the proposal on September 10, 2025.
The proposal comes after a ruling by the EU Court of Justice that struck down parts of the agreement last October.
The court said that the agreement did not show clear consent from what it defined as “the people of Western Sahara,” which led to the cancellation of the deal’s provisions covering products from the Moroccan Sahara.
That decision set a 12-month expiration period, ending on October 4, 2025, unless the EU and Morocco agree on a new framework.
Brussels is now trying to adjust the deal so that it complies with European law while keeping trade relations with Morocco intact.
If approved, the revision would allow products from the Moroccan Sahara to keep entering the European market with the same preferential tariffs as those applied to Moroccan goods.
The Commission says the talks are meant to bring the agreement in line with EU law and international law, but the move also seeks to avoid disrupting trade flows between Morocco and the European Union, one of the kingdom’s biggest partners.
The case has been sensitive since the EU Court ruled in October 2024 that products from the Moroccan Sahara must be labeled as such, and not as Moroccan.
The court also said any new trade deal must ensure that the benefits of using the region’s natural resources go directly to its people in a verifiable way.
The Moroccan government has welcomed the Commission’s proposal, noting that the kingdom’s agreements with the EU must continue to reflect Morocco’s territorial integrity, which includes its southern provinces.
If negotiations go ahead, they will aim to renew and secure the trade framework before the current arrangements expire.
For Morocco, keeping the Moroccan Sahara included in trade deals with Europe remains a strategic priority, both economically and politically.
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